Zeekr’s Growth Falters as Parent Geely Tightens Control
Zeekr, the premium electric-vehicle brand of Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., is grappling with slowing growth and a sweeping strategic overhaul that is subordinating its once-prized independence to the directives of its parent company. A series of management and structural changes aimed at integrating Zeekr more deeply into the Geely ecosystem have yet to revive sluggish sales, raising questions about the brand’s future path.
The brand's sales momentum has decelerated sharply in 2025, with growth in the first eight months slowing to just 3% year-on-year. August deliveries fell 2% from a year earlier to 17,600 units, a stark contrast to the robust 38% growth posted by the wider Geely group. Having achieved just 39% of its 320,000-unit annual sales target by the end of August, Zeekr faces a near-impossible task to meet its full-year goal.
Adding to the uncertainty, a plan to merge Zeekr’s autonomous driving team into a new Geely-wide entity has reportedly been suspended, signaling internal friction over the brand’s strategic alignment. The delay comes as new leadership imposes stricter operational controls on sales staff, changes that have been met with reservations on the showroom floor, according to an employee.
These developments are part of a broader consolidation strategy by Geely that began last year. The moves, including a merger with sibling brand Lynk & Co, a planned privatization from the New York Stock Exchange, and the centralization of key technologies, indicate Geely is prioritizing restructuring and cost control over Zeekr's short-term sales performance, fundamentally recasting its role within the automotive giant.
Management Overhaul Focuses on Process, Not Sales
Recent leadership changes at Zeekr have ushered in a more rigid, process-driven culture that some employees say does little to directly boost vehicle sales. Following the appointment of Lin Jie, a veteran Geely executive, to oversee Zeekr’s domestic marketing and sales in May, new, stricter rules have been enforced at the dealership level.
According to a Zeekr salesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity, staff are now required to secure a perfect 10-out-of-10 satisfaction rating from every customer after a test drive or service interaction, and must provide photographic evidence. A "mystery shopper" program has also been intensified, penalizing staff for minor deviations from an exacting service script, such as failing to offer water immediately upon a customer's arrival.
“The new requirements are strict and mechanical,” the salesperson said, noting that the rigid protocols can sometimes make customers uncomfortable. When asked if the new management had introduced policies with a direct impact on selling cars, the employee said there had been little change in that area. This management shift is one of at least four major organizational and personnel adjustments in less than a year, none of which have included major price cuts or model lineup changes aimed at stimulating immediate sales.
Prized Independence Erodes Under Geely's Control
Zeekr’s identity as an independent, high-tech trailblazer is being diluted as Geely reclaims control and disseminates the brand's exclusive technologies across its portfolio. Launched in 2021, Zeekr quickly rose to prominence, achieving a $13 billion valuation and completing a U.S. IPO in a record 37 months.
That momentum has since faded. In addition to slowing sales, particularly for its flagship Zeekr 001 model, the company’s losses have mounted, totaling over 27 billion yuan (US$3.75 billion) between 2021 and 2024, with its asset-to-liability ratio reaching 128% at the end of last year. In response, Geely has begun sharing Zeekr’s core assets. The Lynk & Co Z10 sedan, launched in August 2024, uses the same SEA architecture as the Zeekr 001. Zeekr’s self-developed Golden Brick battery, once exclusive to the brand, is now being integrated into a unified "Shendun Golden Brick" brand for use by other Geely nameplates.
From Geely’s perspective, the consolidation is working. By absorbing a significant portion of Zeekr’s formerly independent R&D and sales expenses, the parent company has improved Zeekr’s financial statements. In the first half of 2025, Zeekr’s net loss narrowed 76.6% year-on-year to 1.05 billion yuan, and it recorded its first-ever quarterly operating profit in the second quarter after merging with Lynk & Co. The trade-off, however, is a loss of the exclusivity that once defined the brand.
A New Narrative Amid Internal Tensions
While being pulled deeper into Geely’s orbit, Zeekr is attempting to carve out a new narrative for itself, fighting to retain autonomy in key software areas while pushing further upmarket. A clear point of contention is autonomous driving. Geely’s move to create a group-wide solution called "Qianli Haohan" under a new entity, Chongqing Qianli Intelligent Driving Technology, directly challenges Zeekr’s ambition to maintain its own R&D path.
A plan to fold Zeekr’s smart-driving team into Qianli Zhijia, a joint venture involving Geely and AI firm Megvii Technology Ltd., has been put on hold, according to a person familiar with the matter. Many of the team’s employees have not signed new contracts and continue to work within the Zeekr structure, suggesting the brand is resisting a full consolidation of its software capabilities. Zeekr did not respond to a request for comment.
Simultaneously, Zeekr is redefining its market position. Following the merger, a strategy of "Zeekr up, Lynk & Co wide" was established. This is reflected in its latest product pipeline, which moves beyond its previous 200,000-300,000 yuan price range. The new Zeekr 9X is priced from 479,900 yuan to 569,900 yuan ($66,650−$79,150), with a high-performance "Guanghui" edition expected to exceed 1 million yuan. As Geely’s reforms continue, Zeekr is betting that a repositioning as a true luxury player will allow it to create a new story, even as its parent reasserts ultimate control.